The Crimson Tide, who finished fifth in the SEC last season, earned one of the league’s 13 first-place votes. Preseason favorite and defending league champion Florida earned 11 first-place votes while second-place Tennessee earned one as well. Texas A&M and LSU are in third and fourth, respectively, with Alabama rounding out the top five.

The preseason poll was voted on by the conference’s 13 head coaches. Points were awarded on a 12-1 basis and coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Tide opens its 2018 season Thursday, Feb. 8 in Mobile, Ala., against South Alabama before heading to Gulf Shores, Ala., that weekend for the Sand Dollar Classic. There, Alabama will face Central Arkansas, Lamar, Penn State and Virginia Tech over three days of competition starting Friday, Feb. 9.

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaSB on Twitter, BamaSB on Instagram and Alabama Softball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.